


Discord and Possibilities

by BettyHT



Series: Toni [3]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 15:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: Third in the Toni series. Adam and Toni get good news, but men from the past show up to cause trouble.  At first, even the identity of one is a mystery.





	Discord and Possibilities

Discord and Possibilities

Chapter 1

Leaning against the corral fence and obviously unhappy, Adam's furrowed brows and bunched shoulders were clear indications of his mood. He had ridden over to the main house hoping for some support or at least some understanding and wasn't getting what he felt he needed. He and Toni had been at odds for three days, and the pressure was bothering him significantly making it difficult to work, eat, or sleep. His father had only a bemused expression as he had explained his woes.

"You are enjoying this way too much, Pa!"

"I'm sorry, Adam, but this doesn't surprise me. The two of you married because you liked and loved each other, but you really didn't know each other very well so there are bound to be some disagreements as you learn how to live with each other."

"We have had our disagreements over the past three months, but these last three days have been intolerable. Everything I say seems to be taken differently than I intended. And when we disagree now, we can't seem to have anything approaching a rational discussion or even a rational argument. I've been described in less than glowing terms before but not so often or as much from a member of my family. It makes it difficult to concentrate on my work during the day and doubly difficult to sleep at night as I wonder what it is that I've done wrong and unable to come up with an answer."

Hoss, Joe, Candy, and Charlie rode into the yard. They had been checking the winter pastures to be sure the cattle were getting enough to eat. The weather had been very mild for the beginning of the winter season so they wanted to do the herd survey while it was still easy to get around. They all walked over to where Adam and Ben were talking leaning on the corral fence.

"Your brother needed a little break from some marital discord."

"Dadgummit, you couldn't wait another week?"

Candy and Joe started laughing, and then all three of them reached for their wallets, each pulled out a five-dollar bill, and handed them to Ben. Charlie just stood back with a bemused expression on his face.

"Would someone mind telling me what this is about, and you better not be telling me that you bet on my relationship with Toni!"

"OK, we won't tell you that, but I was certain you'd be here talking to Pa in the first month complaining about something between the two of you, and Candy had the second month. Pa had the third month, and Hoss was sure it would be in the fourth month so that's why he's a bit upset with you right now. He had the most faith in you, and you let him down."

Joe started giggling, and the others couldn't help but join in except Adam who stalked to his horse, mounted up, and rode in the direction of his house. As Adam rode slowly home, he decided that he probably should go to town to get the mail and pick up some supplies he needed. He knew he was avoiding the inevitable confrontation, but he needed some time to calm down too. He barely spoke to anyone in town when completing his errands and guessed that they thought he was a surly one now that he was married. He didn't care too much because he wouldn't have been much of a conversationalist anyway with his powers of concentration severely hampered by worry over his marriage. As he rode home, he wondered what kind of reception he would get. All he had done was tell Toni that he wanted to hire Charlie to work for them. He remembered well the first reaction she had. 'I don't need somebody here to watch over me. I can take care of myself. I have been for a long time. I am so tired of your arrogant attitude that you think you can just make decisions without discussing them with me first.' Well he had broached the subject with her because he wanted her input but knew that once again, it wasn't going to be a peaceful, rational discussion of the merits of the idea. Before he said something he would regret, he had stormed out of the house and ridden Sport over to the Ponderosa hoping for a compassionate response there but that wasn't to be had today either. He hadn't expected any help in town, but that had been a respite of time only.

When Adam got home, he lit a lantern before unsaddling Sport and brushing him down. It was cold in the stable so after he mucked out the stalls and distributed feed and buckets of water to the four horses and one milk cow, he went in the tack room and got blankets to throw over their backs. There were four chickens in two small cages, and he moved those to the empty stall between the horses and the cow where there would be more warmth for them and stacked some straw around them. He made sure the doors were all securely latched and then walked to the washroom only to find the door locked. So he went up to the front door but that was locked as well. There was smoke coming from the chimneys and the stovepipe from the kitchen so he knew Toni had to be home. He knocked and then called out but there was no answer. With a deep sigh, he walked to the small bunkhouse he had built. At least it was small so it would be easy to heat.

On the way to the bunkhouse, Adam grabbed an armload of firewood seething as he did so because he didn't think that he had done anything to warrant being barred from his house. Inside the bunkhouse, it was sparsely furnished with a table, two chairs, a small cabinet, and four bunk beds with a pot-bellied stove in the center. There was a bucket and a coffeepot in the cabinet but no food because they didn't have anyone hired to work for them yet. Adam lit a lantern, stoked the stove, and lit a fire. Then he went to fill the bucket with water from the pump by the horse trough so at least he could have warm water to wash. He had not slept well for the last several nights so he sat in a chair and rested his head on his arms on the table as he waited for the water to heat. Exasperated but very tired, he fell asleep. The next thing he felt was a cool hand on his neck.

"I remember the first time I felt your hand on my neck. It was the beginning of falling in love with you."

"Yes, and I was so angry with your brothers for how they were treating you and making you so unhappy, and this time I have no one to blame but myself."

Had the circumstances been more normal between them, he would have told her about the wager on their marital situation that his family and Candy had done, but this wasn't the time nor place to discuss that. "Toni, what's been going wrong. I don't know how to fix things if I don't know what's wrong. When I got home and found myself locked out, it was the way I've felt for the last few days."

"Adam, I'm sorry. I didn't realize the doors were still locked. I locked them after you left this morning. When you came home, I was lying on the bed taking a nap because I wasn't feeling well and didn't hear you ride in. When I came downstairs, I stepped outside to see if you were home yet, and I saw the light in here. I knew you must have tried the doors and found them locked. I never meant to lock you out."

Concerned mostly by the middle part of that statement, Adam accepted her apology but was worried. "Are you ill? Do you still feel sick?"

"A little. I haven't been feeling well for the last few days. I am so sorry to have taken it out on you. I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't seem to think straight either."

Standing then, Adam pulled her to him. He put his hand on her forehead, and he was relieved when he realized that she didn't seem feverish. If anything, she seemed a little cool or even clammy to the touch. He turned the lantern down, made sure the stove was damped down, took Toni by the elbow, and they walked to the house.

"You can sit at the table if you want, and I'll get dinner for us."

"I'm not really very hungry. I did make a stew this afternoon, and it should be warm in the oven yet. There's some bread from yesterday."

As Adam brought plates and food to the table, Toni suddenly stood and ran into the kitchen. Adam followed and found her outside on her knees dry retching. He held her hair back and caressed her back. When it seemed she was done, he helped her up and walked her into the kitchen and had her sit on a chair. He gave her a glass of water to rinse her mouth and held a bowl for her. Then he handed her a wet towel.

"Tomorrow, I think you ought to see Doc Martin. Please?"

"Yes, I think you're right."

"I'll help you to bed now. I'll take care of things down here and then join you." Helping her up the stairs, Adam became more worried as he realized how weak she was and how tired even though she had told him she napped earlier and quite soundly apparently. He helped her into a gown and tucked her into the bed wrapping a warm quilt around her and promising to be back as quickly as he could. He went downstairs and gulped down the stew that was lukewarm, cleaned up the dishes, locked up, and made sure the fireplaces and stoves were secure for the night. Then he went upstairs and stoked the fire in their bedroom. He was warm but he was concerned that Toni was not.

That night, Adam held Toni in his arms as she slept. He had trouble sleeping with worry that something was seriously wrong but suspected that the cause of her sickness was something far more logical. However his mother had died in childbirth so even that thought was not comforting especially with her feeling so ill, and he knew that the loss of a spouse could happen in any marriage. After all, his father had lost three wives, and Adam had seen twice how devastated he was by those losses. Adam knew that his life would never be all right again if something happened to Toni. He had waited so long to find someone with whom he could share the rest of his life and they had had so little time together so far. So he lay there and worried about what the doctor would tell them when he examined Toni. Toni had said she had her flow that month so it was the other dire possibilities that weighed on his mind.

Chapter 2

Breakfast the next morning had the same effect on Toni as dinner the night before. As soon as the smell of food reached Toni, she ran outside and dry retched. Adam got her to drink some tea, but that was all she could tolerate. He had her dress warmly and then hitched up their carriage. Adam escorted Toni outside to their carriage and grabbed a warm blanket before leaving the house. In the carriage, he wrapped it around Toni's legs and tucked it behind her. Seeing her still shiver a little though she tried to hide it from him, he went to get another blanket and wrapped that one around her shoulders. She smiled at him then and admitted that it did help quite a bit. Adam drove slowly into town grateful that the weather at least was cooperating. December in the Sierras could be very unpredictable and cold winds blowing down the slopes could be bitter.

Once arriving in town, Adam drove directly to Doc Martin's office and helped Toni to climb down from the carriage and walk inside. Paul was happy to see them, but his countenance became much more serious as he saw how worried Adam looked and how pale and weak Toni appeared that morning. Paul escorted Toni to an examination room and asked Adam to sit outside until he was called. Inside, he had Toni sit first so he could ask some questions.

"Now tell me what has been going on, and for how long?"

"For the last four or five days, I have been feeling slightly nauseous especially when there is an odor of food. Yesterday, it got much worse and I have been retching. I can't eat anything. I have had headaches and a general overall tiredness that doesn't get any better if I rest. I get sleepy in the middle of the day and have to take a nap. I have been pretty snappish, and Adam has taken the brunt of that. I thought perhaps I was with child, but I have had my flow and even though the last two times it was light, that has happened before so it's nothing new."

"Well let me examine you, and we'll see what we can determine about why you are feeling so badly."

After about thirty minutes, Paul asked Adam to come into the exam room. Toni was finishing dressing, and Paul wanted to discuss his diagnosis with both of them so there would be no misunderstanding.

"First of all, I noticed how pale Toni is compared to the last time I saw her which was about two months ago. I think she is anemic and needs to improve her diet. She told me that she has been skipping a lot of meals when she is home alone because she gets so caught up in unpacking, organizing, sewing, and decorating the new home you two moved into after Thanksgiving. With the move and the lack of proper nutrition, Toni has exhausted herself. She needs to take it easy for the next six months and be sure to eat three good meals a day or more if she's hungry. After all, that baby needs the nutrition too!"

Adam and Toni reacted with shock to the last statement.

"Doctor how could I be pregnant? I have had my flow each month!"

"Toni, it happens in a lot of pregnancies that there is still some bleeding in the first three months. Most of the time, there is nothing to worry about. If there is still a flow in the fourth month, we will have to be more concerned. But you told me the flow was light especially the last time when it was only a day. That would be consistent in what can happen in a normal pregnancy. Based on my exam, I think you are at least two months pregnant and probably three."

Adam wrapped his arm around Toni.

"Is there anything more we should do to make sure Toni stays healthy and the baby too?"

"It would be prudent as I said earlier for Toni to start taking it easier. Most importantly, she needs to start eating regularly. It may take some time for you to find the foods most palatable for her right now. If any food causes a problem, that food and anything like it should be avoided for the next month or two. She may have to eat small amounts six or eight times a day in order to get enough food. Larger meals are likely to set off that nausea. Any time that she is hungry, she should have something to eat, but don't let a big appetite convince you to have a big meal." That last part was directed at Toni specifically because Paul wanted to be sure she understood the warning. "With more rest and some time, I think the nausea will go away. It usually does resolve itself in a month or two. Is there someone you could hire to start doing some of the work so that Toni won't be tempted to do too much."

Toni looked a little sheepishly at Adam. "Yes there is. I'm sure we can take care of that soon."

After leaving Doc Martin's office, Adam felt he was walking on air. Toni looked up to him and smiled at the contented look on his face. She knew he was relieved even more than she was to realize that she wasn't ill. With rest, sleep, and good nutrition, she would be able to look forward to preparing a nursery in their home. She got so preoccupied thinking about how she would decorate it that she didn't hear Adam's question to her. He stopped and tipped her chin up.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"I was just thinking about how we could decorate the bedroom next to ours as a nursery."

"Oh no, you don't! You are not going to be doing anything like that until you're rested and feeling a lot better. I'll talk to Pa to see if it is all right with him if I offer Charlie a job. And we should think about getting someone to help in the house too for the next six months."

"Adam, hiring Charlie is a good idea, but I don't need any help in the house."

"Weren't you in that office when Paul said you needed to take it easier for the next six months! You need to start thinking about how to have a healthy baby and keep yourself healthy too. And one way to do that is to have someone help in the house. You would still be in charge but someone to do some of the heavier work is still a good idea I think! When I'm gone and Charlie's working outside, it would be reassuring to me especially to know someone was with you if you needed someone." The worry, concern, and love were so evident in his comments that Toni did not have the heart to deny him.

"Who would we hire?" Adam heard the concession in that remark and hugged her closer. They spent the next few minutes as they walked to the general store discussing possibilities. They agreed after some discussion that the best course of action was to ask Hop Sing if there was someone he knew who would be willing to work for them for at least the next six months.

Once at the store, Toni asked if she could wait outside on the bench while Adam made some purchases. Considering the smells in the store, they both knew it was probably not a good idea for Toni to spend any time in there. After a moment, Adam stepped outside and handed a few crackers to Toni. "Don't worry. He'll put them on our bill. I bought a small bag of them. I remember Marie eating them when she was carrying Joe. I assume it was for the same reason." Returning to the store, Adam stood there looking over teas and other items with no idea what he should buy for Toni to try. Finally he just gathered a variety of teas, more crackers, cans of peaches, and as he walked to the counter, a small bag with lemon drops and peppermint sticks. He asked for a bag of flour, one of sugar, a couple packages of coffee, and a large bag of beans to increase the kitchen stocks. Then realizing he would need to stock the bunkhouse too, he doubled the order and added more peaches. He added a frying pan, a kettle, lamp oil, and a lamp to his order. When asked if that was all, he took a moment and picked up a few hairpins and several spools of green, red, and white ribbons. Smiling, he nodded that he had everything, and paid his bill. He had to go get the carriage so he told them he would be back soon and only took the small bag of candy. When he got outside, he offered the candy to Toni and she took a lemon drop, popped it in her mouth, and smiled because there was no negative reaction from her stomach. Satisfied that all was well for the moment, Adam went to retrieve the carriage, and when he arrived back at the store, Toni was talking with Ben. Not sure of what she had told him, Adam walked up and tried to keep a neutral expression on his face. Ben looked at him and smiled broadly.

"He guessed already."

"It's what I thought when you were at the house. Your mother was just like that when she was with child. For a month, I couldn't do anything right. You're lucky that it was less than a week with Toni. However I understand there may be some difficulty in this pregnancy because of the morning sickness. Marie had that quite badly. It makes things seem difficult at least, but it could worry Toni's family if they see her. She does look ill. You know you can trust me with your secret, but I do think you ought to tell Tony."

"I agree. We can stop in and tell Papa on the way home. Adam and I were wondering too if it would be all right to ask Charlie to come work for us. He has been a foreman for a long time and Adam says he has been handing off much of the work to Candy so perhaps he would be interested in a lighter work load?" Adam was happy that she had made the request of Ben.

Ben leaned back and then nodded. "You want to ask Charlie to come work for you. I think that would be a wonderful idea. Joe and Hoss have wanted to offer the foreman's job to Candy but they didn't know how to do that without hurting Charlie's feelings. So if Charlie had another opportunity, it could work out well for everyone. He's been getting testy with all the commotion and noise in the bunkhouse so he might be happy to have your small bunkhouse all to himself for the winter. It's close enough that he can ride over or the men could go visit him too. Do you have enough for him to do?"

"Yes, we think so. He would have all the responsibility to see to the stock, and we want to buy a few more horses, and Charlie would have his horse there too. We need some of the trees cleared out for corrals, and that wood would have to be trimmed and then stacked so it can dry. In the spring, we need to start putting in some fencing. After the open house, I got some offers to design a few homes and buildings, and I want to use some of the winter months drawing up plans so I was hoping with Charlie handling a lot of the outside work, it would give me more time."

Suddenly Toni had a better idea of why Adam had wanted to talk to her about hiring Charlie. She felt a bit guilty about how she had reacted to his idea. She should have known he had thought about it a lot before making the suggestion. She resolved at that moment that she would try harder to trust him in the future and know that he was only going to do what he thought was best for the two of them and that he had good reasons for any idea he suggested. She should have asked him what those reasons were instead of getting so angry. She knew how he liked to work things out in his mind before discussing them with anyone and should have known he had not discussed it with anyone else before bringing it up with her.

As Adam and Toni drove the carriage out of town, Toni snuggled up next to Adam and leaned her head against his shoulder. He smiled down at her, and within a mile slowed the team as he realized she had fallen asleep. He felt more relaxed than he had in some time. Things were working out so well with Toni that he couldn't imagine any problem that they could not overcome. Even his fears about Toni being with child had been diminished by talking with Doctor Martin. What would have worried him if he saw it was the malevolent look pointed his way by the new hand at the livery stable.

At the R&D, there was nothing but smiles when Tony got the news. His fondest wish was that his daughters would all be happily married and have children. Now that Toni was with child, his dream was almost true. He hugged his daughter, and congratulated Adam. He commiserated over the morning sickness and told them that Rosa had that with each of her daughters. That reassured both Toni and Adam knowing it was a family trait although apparently Toni's two older sisters had not suffered with it like she did. Tony said perhaps they had but had not wanted to worry their younger sister. After a short visit, Adam and Toni continued to their home content now that they had a plan and some additional reassurance that all was going to work out well.

Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Adam and Toni adjusted as more changes happened at their home. Charlie readily agreed to Adam's proposal and moved into the bunkhouse. Toni insisted on selecting a rug and some curtains for the bunkhouse and had Adam go into town to buy a deck of cards, a checkers set, and a few light novels. Adam picked up a carving knife as well. He knew that Charlie liked to read but that he also had an artist's hand when it came to carving. In the solitude of the bunkhouse with no one to hassle him for his hobby, Adam was sure he would craft some nice pieces. Perhaps he would be willing to carve some blocks for child's play when they thought it would be appropriate to tell him their news. Charlie was happy with the small bunkhouse and said it felt more like a home than anything he had lived in for decades and that made Toni cry. He had no idea why she cried when he said it and felt bad about that. Adam only commented that she was sensitive about such things and let it go at that. Charlie had shrugged not having much experience with women.

Of course, Toni cried at almost anything these days. She had cried when she told her Papa their news. She had cried when Adam gave her the pretty hairpins and colored ribbons he had picked out at the general store. She cried quite a lot when he showed her the design of the cradle and crib he wanted to make. At first, Adam thought he should learn how to better relate these things to Toni but gradually came to realize that her pregnancy made her much more emotional. He smiled and joked one morning at breakfast that she needed to drink more to keep up with all the tears she was shedding, and she cried at that. She started to feel badly about all the crying, but he held her in his arms and assured her that he understood. So she cried at that and then started laughing when he sighed rather dramatically. They made a running gag out of her crying and that actually helped. She would cry eliciting some great dramatic exaggerated sigh from him, and then they could both laugh. When it happened when members of their family were around, it made their fathers and his brothers look at them as if they had gone crazy. If it had only been Toni acting oddly, they would have assumed it was because she was with child. They couldn't explain Adam's strange behavior though, and both chuckled often in the privacy of their home when they got to talk about that.

Surprising them, Hop Sing had recommended a woman who had recently moved to town after losing her family to influenza on their small farm. She sold the farm for a small amount and needed work to support herself. Hop Sing had learned of her plight when he had been in town recently and learned that she had even gone in to the Chinese section of Virginia City to see if anyone would hire her there. Once Adam and Toni met with the young woman, they found that it was her older brother and sister who had died as her parents had died many years earlier on the journey west from Wisconsin. They had hoped to strike it rich in the gold fields but had quickly come to realize that there was no pot of gold for them to find. Although the siblings had done all right with their farm, it was isolated and much different from the farm they had worked in Wisconsin where rain was more plentiful and green grass and leafy trees were all around. When Minnie first visited with Adam and Toni and saw the setting of their home, she could not have been more pleased. There were trees all around and although not as lush as Wisconsin, it was far more green than the farm her family had tried to turn into a successful operation only to find that droughts and poor soil were more than they could manage. However it was the spectacular view of the lake and the mountains was that left her speechless for the thought of seeing that every day as she arose and then as she worked made the whole proposition that much more appealing. It was also so much more quiet and peaceful than Virginia City, which was loud and bustling with people all the time. The three of them found an easy camaraderie as they all valued so many of the same things so Minnie accepted the job as soon as it was offered.

There was a small room off the kitchen that Adam had built to use initially for storage, but now Toni understood why Adam had insisted on nice sized windows in there. It gave them the option of using it as they now could for a room for their new cook and housekeeper. As with the bunkhouse, Toni found a nice rug and sewed up some pretty curtains for the window. Adam had to make another trip to town to get a washbowl, chamber pot, and some towels as well as some scented milled soap. Toni rode along on the trip to get some bolts of cloth to use to make bedding for Minnie and also to start sewing items for the nursery. Adam wasn't so sure she should be doing so much but she reminded him that she could do all of those things while she was sitting. He agreed as long as she remembered to eat and to take the naps the doctor thought she ought to be taking. Minnie had some requests for items from the store to use in cooking the Dutch and German recipes she had learned from her mother and sister. Toni was looking forward to collaborating in the kitchen with Minnie who also wanted to learn the Mexican and New Orleans recipes that Toni had learned from her mother and grandmother, but Adam drew the line there and nixed the idea for a few months explaining to Millie exactly why. Toni was a little peeved at him for that, but he was in the right and knew it. She eventually relented and admitted she was trying to do too much. Adam relaxed then when he realized how well Toni was adapting to the idea of having someone in the house to help.

Over the next few weeks, as winter settled in, Adam, Toni, Charlie, and Minnie gradually established a routine. Minnie had insisted that she should eat in the kitchen and Charlie sometimes joined her there for the evening meal. He enjoyed the young lady's company. Hoss visited often. At first, he was there to play checkers and chat with Charlie, but increasingly, he spent time in the kitchen visiting with Minnie as she cooked. Sampling the results of her efforts could not be the only reason so Adam and Toni would smile and say 'Of course' whenever he asked to be excused to go see what Minnie was cooking up in the kitchen. Charlie figured it out right away too and gave the same response when Hoss would ask him if he minded if he went to the kitchen to see if Minnie had cooked up any sweet treats. All of them guessed that Minnie was the sweet treat Hoss had the most interest if finding there. Minnie was the only one who didn't seem to realize what was going on but she was an intelligent young lady, and they guessed that she would know soon enough. Adam knew that Hoss would take that long to get over his shyness with her anyway.

For the Christmas celebration, Ben insisted that everyone should be at the main house. Adam said he thought that Toni should stay home on Christmas Eve because he didn't want to have her out too late especially with the cold, but he assured his father that the four of them would be at the Ponderosa bright and early Christmas morning for breakfast. Charlie and Minnie thought they should not be intruding, but Toni insisted that they were family now, and that her father would be bringing his foreman and his housekeeper and their spouses who had all moved to be here with him. Therefore, Minnie insisted that she should prepare some food to bring along if the gathering was going to be that large. Adam smiled and told her that Hoss would certainly enjoy that.

On Christmas Eve, Adam and Toni sat on the settee in front of the fireplace admiring their first Christmas tree in their new home. Using scraps of cloth and the ribbons Adam had given her, Toni had made an angel for the treetop and had fashioned some matching decorations for the tree. Charlie had carved some snowflakes out of pine and they were hung on the tree as well. It was a small tree for their first Christmas because it was only the four of them who would spend much time with it. Wonderful aromas had wafted out of the kitchen all day as Minnie had been baking items to take to the Ponderosa Christmas celebration. Toni was finding that her appetite was returning especially with the cookies and cakes that were baking. Fried foods and meat dishes were still a problem, but Minnie was fixing her many delicious custards and other egg dishes that she found very tasty and that didn't bother her stomach at all. As she sat on the settee finishing a cup of custard with peaches in it, Adam reached under the tree and picked up two boxes and set them in front of Toni.

"When you finish your custard, do you think we could have a tradition of opening our gifts on Christmas Eve? There will be a lot of commotion tomorrow with everyone, and I would like a little quiet time with my lady."

"I do like the way you think. But for the children, it will still need to be Christmas morning."

"We don't even have the one yet, and you're making plans for more?"

Toni smiled and Adam pulled her into an embrace. He ran his fingers down her neck and caressed her shoulder after sliding her gown down a little. The kisses became more passionate. After a few moments, Toni pulled away.

"I thought you wanted to open presents?"

"Sweetheart, I thought that's what I was doing, but if you want to open these boxes first, then let's do that."

"You are insatiable!"

Adam grinned and picked up the smaller of the two boxes and handed it to Toni. She opened it to find a golden locket with a green emerald and diamonds on the cover. When she opened it and folded out one panel, there was a picture of her and one of Adam but the center panel was empty.

"For the baby's first picture or a lock of the baby's hair. It's up to you."

Adam knew she was about to cry so he handed her the larger box. Toni opened that to find a beautiful blue satin gown and robe inside.

"Try on the robe to see if you like it."

"Adam, it's beautiful but it seems a bit large." Suddenly she smiled in embarrassment as she realized why he had purchased it so much larger than what she was now.

"I wanted you to have something beautiful to wear when you grow with our child." Then she did cry. Adam stood and wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. He placed his hand on her only slightly bulging tummy.

"Do you think we ought to make the announcement to the rest of the family tomorrow?"

"Yes, because I think they may be suspecting it anyway."

Toni pointed to a box and Adam picked up a small but heavy box wrapped with a white ribbon. Toni told him it was his turn to open a gift, so he did and looked up at her with a huge grin. She had purchased a new set of drafting tools for him – the best that her father had been able to find that could be shipped to Virginia City in time for Christmas. They were in a leather lined case that had a handle so they could be portable as well if he needed them to be. Adam stood and walked over to the lamp and turned it down. He stepped next to Toni, bent to fold his arm under her knees, and picked her up. As he walked to the stairs with his love in his arms, he kissed her.

"We should conclude the rest of the celebration upstairs I think."

"Oh Adam, I thought we could sing some carols and have hot chocolate in front of the fire."

"Later, if you still have the energy."

As he expected, she didn't have the energy to return to the tree for carols and hot chocolate. He did croon a few carols to her as she relaxed as against his chest. As he heard her breathing slow and become soft and regular, he knew she had fallen asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes enjoying one of the best Christmases he could ever remember.

Chapter 4

Christmas morning was rather dark with a light snow falling. There was no wind and the temperature was mild, but as a precaution, Adam suggested that they each pack a bag in case they had to spend the next day or two at the Ponderosa ranch house. Charlie made sure that the animals had adequate food within reach and had a blanket over their backs. Minnie packed two baskets in the back of the carriage with the desserts she had baked the day before. There were gifts to pack as well. Adam added some blankets in case they were needed especially for the return trip. Last to be loaded was Adam's guitar because it was a tradition for him to play and everyone to sing carols on Christmas day. All four climbed into the carriage for the ride to the Ponderosa. Charlie insisted he should drive so Adam and Toni snuggled into the back seat and Minnie sat up front with Charlie.

As they pulled into the yard at the Ponderosa, Hoss was the first to come outside to meet them. It only made Adam and Toni grin more as they had predicted exactly that to each other on the way over. As Charlie climbed down to take care of the team, Hoss helped Minnie down from the front seat and walked to the back to help her carry the baskets into the house. Adam helped Toni down and then looked as his brother and Minnie were walking to the kitchen.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas to you too, Hoss."

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Adam. Toni." Hoss set the baskets down and came back to shake his brother's hand and slap him on the back. Then he hugged Toni.

"Good morning. Welcome to the Ponderosa. Merry Christmas." Then Hoss turned and hurried back to where Minnie stood waiting and showed her the door to the kitchen and carried in the baskets.

Buttoning up their coats against the cold wind, Ben and Joe came out next. Both wished them a Merry Christmas but looked around for Hoss.

"Say, brother, I thought you were bringing your cook along too, and did you see Hoss anywhere?"

"Hoss and Minnie took some baskets of food into the kitchen."

Shaking his head, Joe was bemused. "I guess it figures. Hoss has been standing by the window watching for you for the last hour. He had his coat on too. Hoss would follow food anywhere especially to where there's more food cooking."

Ben was more observant and understood his sons rather well. "Oh, there may be more than food cooking in there."

Toni smiled, but Joe still had a quizzical look on his face. Charlie said he would put up the team and then go visit in the bunkhouse. Adam grabbed the bags and his guitar from the back, and Joe helped him carry them into the house.

When they got in the house, Hoss was setting the two baskets down in the dining area.

"Hop Sing said to just start putting these here desserts that Minnie made on the table. She made some kind of cookies, biscuits, pudding, and such. It sure smells wonderful. Hey, Minnie, what didja call these here kinda funny looking desserts?"

Minnie came out of the kitchen to answer Hoss' question. Joe got his first look at the pretty young woman and started to move in her direction.

"There's koekje, poffertjes, cracknel, quark strudel, and apple pudding." She smiled at their expressions. "You might call them tea cakes, crisp cookies, sweet biscuits, pudding, and pastry with almonds and raisons."

By this time, Joe had reached her side. He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "I'm Joe, the youngest and handsomest of the Cartwright sons."

Joe's advances made Minnie uncomfortable. She preferred the more reserved nature of the oldest brother Adam and especially the shyness of the second brother Hoss. She didn't know how to get her hand free without being offensive and had no idea of what to say to the brash young man who had her hand. Hoss rescued her. He pulled her hand from Joe's.

"Now, see here, Joe, she just got here, and you're making her uneasy. She just wanted to get these desserts out. Ya gotta give her some time to get to know everyone here."

Adam helped too. "Hey, Joe, can you give me a hand with these bags. I want to get them upstairs and out of the way for now. Then could you help me carry in some presents from the carriage?"

Grateful for the rescue, Minnie smiled briefly and hurried back into the kitchen. Hoss gave Joe a frown for his behavior and followed her. Joe looked at Adam as if to ask what he had done.

"Boy, sometime in this lifetime, you are going to have to think before you act. Now, let's go through the things you saw here today and see what you can conclude. Hoss waited by the window for an hour for us to arrive. When you came outside, he was nowhere to be seen and neither was Minnie. Pa said there was more cooking than Hoss wanting food. We got in the house and Hoss brought out the desserts that Minnie had made and asked her to tell us what they were because apparently she had already told him, but he couldn't remember how to say the words." Adam waited only a moment.

"Hoss and Minnie? Really? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Then Joe screwed up his face in one of his famous grimaces. "Because if I had been paying attention, I would have known."

With one of his famous smirks, Adam answered silently. "Now, Minnie is rather shy in many ways so it would be best if you let her get to know everyone before you try to pull her into any activities. She does like to have fun, but she has to be comfortable with the people she's with first."

"I can do that. Honest, I'll be the perfect gentleman. She's very pretty, but I would never try to take a lady away from one of my brothers."

Breakfast came first but didn't take long. Everyone was quite hungry, and the meal was light because of the big meal that was planned for later in the day. After breakfast as they all sat around the tree, Joe was anxious to open presents so he suggested they ought to do that next. Adam got books from his father and from his brothers. Adam and Toni had purchased a set of carving tools for Hoss, a new silver belt buckle engraved with a rearing stallion for Joe, and a pen in a stand decorated with a working sextant for his father. Joe and Hoss presented their father with a new set of reins decorated with turquoise for Buck. Everyone laughed when Joe and Hoss opened gifts to each other and found shirts. Then everyone laughed more when they opened gifts from Ben and each found a shirt again. Finally Ben pulled a large wooden box out from under the tree and set it on the coffee table in front of Toni and told her it was a gift from him and the boys. When she opened it she found a dozen crystal wine goblets. Nestled in among the glassware wrapped in cloth, she found six bottles of very good quality wine to start their wine cellar. Of course she started to cry, and Adam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head to his chest.

"Now?"

"Yes, please."

"Well I have an announcement to make to my brothers who are probably wondering why Toni is crying so much lately."

"If I had to live with you and only you, I'd be crying a lot too." Adam gave Joe an annoyed look, and his youngest brother stopped talking. Looking at Hoss and Joe, Adam smiled. "In about five months or so, you two are going to be uncles." Hoss jumped up to congratulate his brother and Toni. Joe sat there on the chair a bit longer. Adam wondered what was up with him until he turned to Adam and said.

"Really? I'm finally going to be Uncle Joe?"

They decided to celebrate the announcement with a bit of Ben's famous apple cider punch. After getting Hop Sing and Minnie into the great room and informing them of the news which didn't seem to surprise either one of them, Ben proposed a toast. Adam asked for a glass of cider without the alcohol for Toni as she was looking a bit pale with all of the excitement, but she requested tea instead. Then Ben had them all raise their glasses and celebrate the best Christmas gift of all.

Later when Tony and his staff arrived, and Roy and Paul arrived too, the news was shared again and more toasts were made. After they had sampled all the delights from Hop Sing's kitchen for a big buffet dinner, and then Minnie's desserts, Adam noticed Hoss take a box from under the tree and head to the kitchen. He smirked a little and wondered what Hoss had in there for Minnie. As shy as that girl could be, it might be a while before they knew what the present had been. The dress she was wearing today had been a gift from them to her this morning, and she had stammered her thanks not knowing what to say. Adam knew that Toni was happy though when Minnie appeared ready to travel and wearing her new dress. Adam had given both Charlie and Minnie a twenty dollar gold piece so each could buy something they truly desired. He also had contributed money to Hop Sing's gift of finely tailored clothing from the Chinese community that had been ordered months earlier by Ben. It seemed that nothing could ruin this Christmas until Roy and Paul pulled Adam and Ben aside for a short conversation.

"We hate to spoil any a this fine celebration but there's some goings on in Virginia City you ought to know about afore you come into town and get surprised."

Paul pulled out a copy of the latest Territorial Enterprise. On the cover was a sketch of Adam and it wasn't flattering. In the sketch, he looked mean and dangerous. The story underneath recounted his supposed exploits when he had been gone from the Ponderosa for several years. Adam had left because he wasn't happy with his life in Nevada. He spent a few months as a sailor thinking he would love the sea and found he really didn't. He traveled in Europe and saw great architecture and museums but didn't find that a satisfying life either. He returned to New York and then went to visit a friend from college who had a horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky and stayed and worked there for a time but still hadn't found what he thought he was looking for. He moved on and worked for the US Marshals office for a short time and as he got as far west as Nevada, got pressed into a brief stint as an Army scout. Once that contract was completed, he headed home to the Ponderosa finally accepting that was the one place he belonged. His life had been rather mundane while he was gone. However in the article, he had crossed the line into illegal activity and had numerous gunfights. Both Adam and Ben were furious by the time they had scanned the article.

"Who's writing this libel about me?"

"Well it's a man who says he's got eyewitness accounts to back this stuff up. Says he's known you for a long time and that this story is just the tip of the mountain of stories he has about you. It's a man by the name of Tobias Finch." Roy just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what to say or what he could do about the situation.

"Finch!" Both Paul and Roy were surprised at the vehemence with which Ben said that name. He then explained how he and Adam had first come to know Finch, and about the lack of morality and conscience in the man. "He would do anything for money. But why is he doing this to Adam n

"Well now I went to question him about all this, and he said to me that he only sells these feature articles to make his living. Says if they're good enough, they get picked up by one of the big city newspapers, and then he gets more money."

With Finch, Adam and Ben knew it always had been about the money. However Adam worried of the effect this would have on Toni. He would have to tell her, and he would have to tell her father too. He knew he was in for some unpleasant time. At least with the winter, there would be some time but he worried about what he could do. There was probably no legal way to stop Finch. Before Adam got any further with those thoughts, Roy cleared his throat. He looked at Adam who knew by the look he was getting from Roy that there was more bad news on the way.

"Adam, there ain't no good way to tell you this next thing. It's about as bad a news as I could bring to you right now. Bill Roberts escaped from prison about a month ago."

"A month ago and I'm just finding out now. How could you hold that news from me?"

"I didn't hold it from you. I only found out about it myself two days ago. I sent out some telegrams to see what else I could find out before I talked with you. It seems that ole Bill was assigned to a month of solitary, but somehow got himself switched with another inmate. When there was an escape, it was that inmate missing from roll call so that was the word they sent out. A couple a days ago, when they went to take Bill out of solitary confinement, they realized it wasn't him but the man they thought had escaped. So they sent out the news that Bill had been out for a month."

"Roy, you know he's coming back here."

"Adam, now I don't know any such thing. He knows if he comes back here, a lot of people know what he looks like, and that would be the fastest way back to prison. The man knows horses real well and could get a job anywhere out here. If he's smart enough, he headed out of this state. Ifn he never comes back, he won't likely go back to prison. They only got a two hundred dollar reward on him. Bounty hunters aren't gonna go track somebody down in another state for that kind of money."

"Roy, he wanted me dead before. After everything that happened, who knows what he may be planning."

At that point, Ben agreed with Roy. "Son, if he was going to come back here, don't you think he would be back already. It's been a month. Even if he traveled slowly, he could have been here two weeks ago at least, but no one has seen him. As Roy said, he's probably headed out of Nevada."

But Adam had that unease that told him that logic and common sense were not part of what drove Bill Roberts. He had not acted that way originally and after what had happened, he was probably even less likely to act in a logical, rational way. He nodded but without any real confidence that Roy and his father were correct in their assessment even as his mind was working on the problem of how to tell this to Toni without upsetting her too much.

Adam, Ben, Roy, and Paul returned to the party, but for all of them, a lot of the joy was gone. Adam continued to be very troubled even though he did his best to put on a good show of holiday cheer. He wondered how he could share what he needed to share with Toni without risking her health and the health of their baby. Trust was essential to their marriage, but the protection of her and the baby was equally important.

Chapter 5

Christmas at the Bucket of Blood saloon was rather dismal, but for some it was the only place to go for the day. The alternative was to sit in some room and stare at walls with nothing to do. The men there were those without family and close friends with homes to which they could be invited. Several tables were made up of men who sat together only because there weren't any other options. A number of cowhands had lost their jobs for the winter months including some who had been let go by the Ponderosa after the fall drive. It was the way things worked, and none were bitter about it. They had to scrape by for a few months, and in spring, they would have jobs again. During a normal week even on Sundays, they often found some odd jobs for cash, but on holidays like this, there was nothing to do. Some men who were traveling found themselves stranded in Virginia City for the holiday as most people were spending their day with family and friends. Even the bartender was unfamiliar because Sam had taken the day to be with his family and hired a replacement for the day not expecting that there would be much demand for his services anyway. There were no saloon girls working as they didn't think it would be a profitable day either. There were sandwiches and boiled eggs on the bar for anyone who bought drinks.

At one table in the back of the room, Tobias Finch was plying his source with plenty of whisky to get him to talk. What he didn't realize was that his 'source' wanted to give him plenty of ammunition to take shots at Adam Cartwright. He was working too many hours at the livery stable to have time to track down his foe and finish him off but had found a very willing if ignorant accomplice in Finch. However, he couldn't seem too eager or he might give himself away. Finch wasn't so stupid as to misunderstand something like that so he made it seem as if Finch had to drag every bit of information out of him. What he didn't know, of course, was that he had a much bigger story than he imagined. He was sitting at the table with a man who had done his best to try to murder Adam Cartwright, had murdered Susan Taylor but gotten away with it, and had escaped from Nevada State Prison.

Bill Roberts looked very different than he had months earlier. A fight in prison had given him an injury to his leg that appeared would never heal well so he walked with a pronounced limp. He had put on weight with his less demanding workload. His hair was long, fell over his forehead and hung below his eyes and several inches over his collar. He had grown a full beard that curled over his collar too. It was as unkempt as the rest of him and was well suited to his new job of helper at the livery stable. His own parents would not have recognized him. His new name was Dan Fox.

Each time that Bill sat with Finch, he tried to remember stories from the deeds of the men he had known when he had used robberies to support his transient lifestyle. When he hired on with Tony's ranch in California, he had decided that life was no longer for him. As he lived there for several months, he had become infatuated with Toni. The more she avoided him, the more he decided he had to have her. He thought he was making progress too until Tony decided to sell and move and that darn Cartwright moved in on him. Now he was using the stories of his past and the past deeds of his cronies to feed stories to Finch. He knew that at the least he would go a long way in destroying Cartwright's reputation because no matter what he did or said, many people would remember these stories and wonder at how much was true. However Bill had a great hope and that was that more than anything he wished that some young stud gunfighters would decide they could make their reputation by taking out Adam Cartwright. The more salacious stories he fed to Finch and the greater the reputation of Cartwright as a killer, the more likely that scenario could happen. He could stand by and be ready to comfort the grieving widow when it happened. That was his plan and as usual, he didn't see the fatal flaws in it.

Finch had already gotten an advance for a novel based on the first story he had submitted about Adam. He paid a small portion of it to 'Dan Fox' never realizing that he was being manipulated. He thought he was the master manipulator dragging details from his reluctant source. He had found people in town generally unwilling to say anything negative about Cartwright other than he was too serious, too rigid when it came to rules, the law and his principles, and had waited too long to marry. None of that made a good story, but one evening he had heard the young man who worked at the livery making more pointed criticisms of his quarry so he plied him with whisky and had gotten enough from him to write that first article. Now he was pushing for more to write another article and get started on his book. He was hoping for more tales of Adam as an outlaw but his source seemed much more willing to talk about Adam the gunfighter. He could make that work too. Instead of the daring outlaw, he could portray him as a cold-hearted contract killer traveling the west gunning men down for money. It had some appeal to him to portray the man that way for it suited the dark clothing and the demeanor of him with his cold look when he was angry. Most people talked loud when they were upset with Finch, but that Cartwright had a more cold and quieter way of making your insides turn watery. It had been embarrassing to Finch, and now he could get some revenge for that. He wondered how Adam Cartwright would feel if he had to start facing a number of hard cold killers in the street. Perhaps it wouldn't even be that many. Maybe one of the first ones would gun him down. Finch hoped that wouldn't happen. It would make a much better story if Adam could survive the first few fights perhaps only being wounded. He could sketch pictures of that in preparation for the final one of him dying in the street. He practically salivated with that thought.

As Finch sat with Dan Fox, he began making sketches of Adam as a gunfighter. The all black clothing Adam favored and the way he wore his gun low and tied down helped the image that Finch was getting ready to use to make some money. Several men in the saloon watched as Finch drew and casually walked by the table to see what he was drawing.

"Say, that's Adam Cartwright you're drawing there. You better be careful. Once he sees that first story you wrote, you'll be lucky to have any fingers to keep writing and drawing with."

"Oh, so Adam is so violent that you men are afraid of him?"

"Nah, I'm not afraid of him exactly. It's more that I'd never do something to cross the man cause I respect him enough to know that if I did, he would be standing right up to me and making me back down or fight him. I don't want to do fight him. I'm a damn sight smarter than that."

"So you are afraid of him!"

"Nah, you don't get it. Respecting a man for being a man who can take care of business isn't the same as being afraid of him. It's the same as not spitting into the wind. You don't do something stupid like that. You don't kick a rattlesnake either. You don't walk in front of a stagecoach coming into town. You don't do things like that."

"Ya, if you knew him, you'd know he's just fierce in protecting his own especially his family, but he's there to help a friend too when ya need it. Why, he's helped out a lot of us when we needed it and asked him." There were quite a few in the saloon who nodded to that statement.

"What about all the men he's gunned down?"

"He never gunned nobody down. Not the way like you say it. He's defended himself and his friends and his family, but he never shot nobody with no reason."

"As far as I can tell, it appears that you gentlemen here don't know him as well as you think you do. My sources have given me information that squarely opposes your statements about him. He's blazed quite a trail of destruction across the west even if he has mainly avoided trouble here. However, wasn't he convicted for a murder her and only let go at the last minute when the only witness recanted her testimony?"

A number of men there had to admit that was the case. Many of them had been there the night that Ben and Adam had been allowed to walk down the gallows steps and were freed.

"Has anyone ever been brought to justice for that murder for which he and his father were freed?" When the men had to agree, Finch laid the groundwork for some suspicion. "Now, Ben Cartwright is as honest and straightforward a man as ever walked the earth. That's true, isn't it." Finch got enthusiastic agreement to that. "So if someone killed that man, it was more likely Adam Cartwright who did it, wasn't it?" It was a neat little trap and left not much wiggle room for the men there especially as they had been drinking. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some writing to do."

After spewing his poison, Finch left. The men who were left in the saloon watched Dan Fox finish his drink and then leave. There was something not quite right about that man, and this was the second time or maybe the third time that several of them had seen him talking and drinking with Finch. Finch rubbed them the wrong way, and talking the way he had on Christmas Day only made him seem even more sleazy, but Dan Fox was far more strange than that. He seemed familiar and strange at the same time which was even more cause to be suspicious of him. Many of the men talked about it and decide that it might be a good idea to let Adam know the next time they saw him. He was good at figuring things out. Maybe he would know what was going on between this Finch and that strange Dan Fox.

Chapter 6

Unfortunately, the paper with the story about Adam was already in his hands, and the more he read it, the angrier he became. Finch and people like him had no integrity. They would do and write anything as long as it got them money and cared not at all what it did to a man's reputation and to his life and the lives of his family and friends who inevitably were affected by the impact of those stories. It led to an argument between Adam and Toni that climaxed with a near ultimatum.

"You will not go into town and act like a hooligan. There is no better way for you to support Finch's stories about you than to go there and get violent with him. You will stay here and use that magnificent brain of yours!"

Toni grabbed his hat and his coat even as Adam stood there holding them in his hands. It was the morning of the day after Christmas and Adam had recounted to Toni the story of Finch and had shown her the story that was in the Territorial Enterprise alleging him to be a gunfighter and a criminal. The more he had talked about it with her, the angrier he had gotten until he finally stood and started strapping on his gun and was going to put on his hat and coat when Toni accosted him. He had meant to be calm and reasonable to keep her from getting too upset, but he was the one who got the most upset with all of it.

"A man has to stand up for himself or he isn't a man!"

"There are better ways to do this and you know it. You complain about Joe being impulsive and not thinking before acting, but what are you doing right now?"

Furious, Adam stood and glared at Toni for several minutes. First Finch and now Toni was pushing him. He wasn't sure who made him angrier. She could see the transformation begin on his face as he thought about what she had said. Slowly he relaxed his hold on his hat and coat, and Toni hung them back up next to the front door. She wrapped her arms around him, and they held each other for a time. He took his gunbelt off, rolled it up, and set it on the credenza by the door.

"What would you have me do?"

"I have no idea. But we need to think and talk about the best way to handle this. Let's have breakfast. I'm hungry."

Adam had to smile at that. Now that the nausea had diminished, and they had found which foods to avoid, Toni had regained a reasonably healthy appetite. Fried foods were off the menu for the time being, but most other things were fine with her. She was eating quite a bit of fruit and drinking a lot of tea made according to the recipe that Hop Sing had given her. Minnie was serving her custards and cookies as snacks between her light meals. Her color was better, and she had more stamina although Adam insisted that she rest each early afternoon even if she wasn't sleepy.

In many ways, Minnie was a great help. Not only was she doing almost all of the cooking and baking but was doing most of the laundry too. She had found that if she heated up the washroom with the stove that was in there, she could dry quite a bit of clothing during the day when the men did not need the washroom. She did some laundry every day after breakfast so there never was much in the basket. When warmer weather arrived, she would be able to hang the laundry outside, and it would dry quickly in the breezes that blew up from the lake, but for now the indoor option was much easier.

Now that Adam's temper had cooled, Toni went into the kitchen to let Minnie know that they were ready now for the breakfast that they had asked her to hold earlier. Minnie wasn't in the kitchen, but Toni saw a beautiful wood carving of a stallion standing in front of a large pine, and the carving was decorating the kitchen work table. Minnie came in from the washroom then and immediately went to the warming oven to get the two plates she assumed Toni wanted.

"That is gorgeous, Minnie. Wherever did you get it?"

"Oh, oh, ah, Mister Hoss gave that to me yesterday."

"Ah, Hoss does like you a lot. He is very talented. I didn't know he could carve this well though."

"Well, it seems that he and Charlie have been working together for the last couple of weeks on carving, and Charlie has been teaching him some things. And those new carving tools they got from Mister Adam will make it a lot easier according to Charlie."

"I am so glad that they like them."

"Oh yes, Mister Hoss says that he never knew carving could be that easy compared to using his folding knife to do it."

"I don't think you have to call him Mister Hoss. I think he would like it if you called him Hoss."

"I didn't know if that would be all right. He is the brother of my boss."

"Adam would be just as happy if you could call him Adam instead of Mister Adam. You call me Toni without any trouble."

"Well, now, you see we worked together from the start, and you told me to call you Toni right off. But Mister Adam seems a little more, I guess you could say, intimidating is the word, I guess. I wasn't sure if I could be so forward as to call him by his first name, as it was being rather familiar."

"He looks that way cause his mind is often somewhere else as he's thinking, and he's always thinking, too much sometimes. But when he really looks at you and talks with you, I'm sure he has a more pleasant expression?"

"Yes, Toni, he does at that, but I wasn't too sure about him. He has been gracious and very generous with me though."

"It takes him a while to get to know someone and be completely comfortable with them. The two of you have that in common, I think. In a way, he's just as shy as Hoss, but it looks different on him. He can be kinda grouchy sometimes too, but it never lasts long."

"You may see that very soon if I don't get my breakfast."

Adam walked into the kitchen smiling and grabbed his plate out of Toni's hand as she playfully tried to keep it away from him. He turned quickly and went to the dining table where the flatware was already laid out so he could eat. Toni smiled that 'I told you so' smile at Minnie and went to join her husband for breakfast.

"Adam, you told me how Finch used Reed Laramore and manipulated him into even doing some illegal things like beating his prisoner Pickard just to get more material for his book. According to what Laramore told you, Finch even pushed him to kill you and Pickard so that he could take all the glory for hunting down two supposed 'fugitives from justice'. Dan at the Territorial Enterprise is always trying to get you to give him stories. Why don't you tell him that story?"

"I don't want to be featured in any more stories in the Enterprise!"

"But don't you see, you won't be featured. Finch will. It would let everyone know what kind of man he is. Dan is a very good writer, and if he does well enough, perhaps his story would be picked up by one of the major newspapers. It would go a long way toward offsetting the stories that Finch has written about you."

Adam had finished his breakfast, and he sat with a scowl on his face as he thought about what Toni had said. He ceertainly didn't like the idea at all because he found sharing any part of his life with a reporter distasteful, but he could see the beneficial strategy of using her idea. He nodded.

"Perhaps you could even write a short journal piece about the time you spent away from the Ponderosa."

"No! I will not put my life out there for everyone. It is none of their business."

"Unfortunately, Finch has made it their business. If you could reasonably explain what happened during those years that no one knows about, people would put it together with what they already know about you, and the only conclusion they could draw would be that Finch is a fraud and lied about you."

Frustrated by the whole situation, Adam dropped his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand. Toni knew he was troubled when he did that. Apparently everyone in the family knew that he needed time alone when he did that. She suggested that perhaps he could get started on that cradle design he had showed her. Adam showed a hint of a smile, nodded, and went to get his hat and coat. Buttoning the coat, he smiled at her, turned, and left the house headed to the barn. Toni sighed with relief. He had not strapped on his gun. He wasn't going anywhere for now.

About two hours later, Toni heard the buckboard pulling out and went to the window to see what was happening. Charlie was driving the buckboard, and Minnie was seated next to him. She sighed with relief, grabbed her coat and a scarf, and walked outside to speak with Adam who was standing in the yard watching Charlie drive away. Adam saw her, walked over to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I needed some better wood and a few more tools for the wood shop I set up in the tack room. Charlie wanted to buy some things and mentioned that he thought Minnie wanted to shop too so I sent them into town. It's a nice day so they should not have any trouble. I told Charlie to ask Dan if he wanted to come to lunch tomorrow and talk about a story." Toni looked at Adam and he smiled down at her and then kissed her. "I married a beautiful and also brilliant wife. I probably don't tell you that enough. Thank you."

"Thank you for listening to me."

"We have at least four hours to ourselves. How about if I take you inside, and you can get ready to have a little rest?"

"But I'm not tired. I don't need to rest now."

"Leave it up to me. In about an hour, you are going to be happy to be resting in bed."

Toni laughed out loud and her happiness was complete. "You are incorrigible, insatiable, and oh, I don't know what you are, but I love you."

"Well, what's your answer?"

"It's the usual of course, yes. You never had any doubt of that, did you?"

About an hour later, Toni was lying in bed wrapped in Adam's embrace when they heard a wagon approach.

"They can't be back yet!"

Toni peaked out the window to see her father getting out of his buckboard. She told Adam who had arrived, and he hurriedly started throwing on his clothing. He told her to take her time as he would tell Tony she was busy upstairs at the moment. He rushed down the stairs to greet Tony at the door. He was a little flushed and a bit out of breath but told Tony he had rushed down the stairs when he saw him ride in. Tony wasn't fooled. He had a loving relationship with his wife for over thirty years, and he was happy that his daughter and son-in-law loved each other so deeply. However, he missed Toni, and had not been able to visit much with her because of the crowd at the Cartwrights the day before so he wanted some time to visit with her.

Once Toni was dressed and came downstairs, she and Adam filled Tony in on Finch's activities and what they planned as a countermeasure. Tony approved. He was happy to see that his daughter was looking much healthier, and when she offered coffee and cookies and had some herself, he could see that she was doing much better.

"I was concerned yesterday with how pale you became at Ben's house."

"There was the ride over, and then there was so much excitement that my stomach got a little upset. There really wasn't time nor a place for me to relax, so it persisted most of the day. I didn't get a chance to take a nap or rest either with all the commotion. By the time we got back here last night, I was exhausted. I slept well though, had a good breakfast this morning, and feel fine now. I guess yesterday let me know what my limits are for the time being."

"I think that perhaps Toni should rest now though. It has been a busy morning, and I don't want her to overdo. In about an hour, we can all have lunch. Meanwhile, I have some plans for a cradle and a crib to show you."

"That's another reason I made the trip today. I have the bed that Toni used as a toddler. I kept it for the grandchildren to use when they visited, but even Davy is getting a little tall for it now. I thought you would like to have it. It needs a little work after all the use it has had, but Toni says you are very good at woodworking so it won't be a problem for you I'm sure."

Toni wrapped her arms around her father and leaned into his shoulder.

"Thank you. That's wonderful. Now I think I will follow my husband's advice. I'll see you for lunch in an hour."

Toni walked up the stairs. Adam and Tony looked at each other, nodded, and smiled. They were both so happy she was their girl. But Adam decided to discuss with Tony what he had not yet confided in his wife. Bill Roberts was out there somewhere. He hated Adam and wanted Toni. They talked while they were in the barn looking at the plans for the cradle and the crib and what Adam had accomplished so far. Tony was going to make an effort to get into town more frequently, and he would ride the property between their two homes as well. His foreman knew Bill Roberts well so he planned to alert him do the same. Adam agreed that he ought to ask his brothers and his father to do similar observation. Adam would alert Charlie so that he would stay within view of the house and yard whenever Adam was not home. Charlie would confide in Minnie so that she could be alert to any stranger approaching the house. Bill was a wanted man so if they spotted him, the sheriff could resolve the problem quickly. He would serve out the ten years he was already sentenced to serve and then an additional number of years for the escape. But for now Adam did not want to upset Toni more than necessary because she needed to stay healthy for herself and the baby. The stress of watching for Bill could undo all the progress she had made in the past couple of weeks. They both knew she would be furious when she found out that they had been protecting her from this news but for the moment, they couldn't think of a better solution.

Chapter 7

For nearly two months, Tony, Adam, Ben, Hoss, Joe, Roy, and a few others who knew Bill Roberts were vigilant. No one ever saw him, and Roy's telegrams to neighboring towns and cities brought in no clues either. It was as if the man had disappeared. Some began to wonder if he had left Nevada to make a life for himself elsewhere, but Adam who had nearly been killed by him believed he was close by and biding his time. Meanwhile Bill's disguise as the lowly worker at the livery who walked with a limp and never shaved was working well. His extra money from Finch dried up after the story that Dan got from Adam. The reporter was thorough in the story he wrote about Finch exposing him as the fraud that he was in a series of three long stories in the Enterprise. The stories were so good, they got picked up by the San Francisco newspapers and then by a number of papers in the east as well. Finch couldn't sell a story anywhere now. He was still in town hoping as 'Fox' told him that there was bound to be a gunfighter who would call Adam out and he could still write his book. He was forced to use his drawing skill to make family portraits and other mundane works to get money to pay living expenses. Finch and Fox did discuss what might happen if a gunfighter did call out Cartwright based on those early stories Finch had written.

Finch was losing faith that it would work at all. "But he can just say no so how does that help me?"

Bill Roberts in his persona of Dan Fox though was able to explain why it would possibly or probably still work. "He can't just say no because out here that marks you as a coward no matter what you done in the past. He's gotta face him in the street even if all he wants to say is that he doesn't want to fight. These young guys who want a rep aren't going to accept his answer. They'll find a way to make him fight."

"Well, so far all that has happened is that Sheriff Coffee has run a couple of those young guns out of town as soon as they started talking about what they wanted to do."

"They weren't smart enough. Maybe the next one will be."

Finch was getting depressed though at how long it was taking. "It better be soon. My funds are starting to run low. There won't be any more money to buy you whisky. There'll be no advances for a book and no money for you unless something new happens with lots of witnesses. It's the only way they'll accept a story from me now."

Several days later, a young man strode into the livery and asked to stable his horse for one night and maybe more. Bill looked him over and knew what he was.

"You a gunfighting man?"

"The fastest there is."

"You here to take out Adam Cartwright?"

"Just as soon as I can call him out."

"Well if'n you talk about it or walk around with your rig hanging low and tied down, all you're gonna git is run out of town by the sheriff. He already done it to a coupla men who had the same idea as you."

"That right?"

"Yup, and Cartwright don't come to town that often, so there's a lot better chance that you're gonna see the sheriff before you ever get near Cartwright. He and the sheriff are the best of friends so the sheriff watches out for him."

The young man thought a while.

"I get the feeling you don't like this Cartwright. You been thinking on any ideas that might help me get to him?"

"Well, pull that rig up and wear it like a cowhand. Let it hang loose. Hang out at the saloon and ask around a bit to see if anyone is hiring. No one is yet so don't worry, but it will make you blend right in with the other cowpokes waiting for the hiring season to begin. It's getting close now so there's quite a few strangers in town, and nobody is gonna take a second look at you."

"So you won't mind if I kill this Cartwright?"

"It will be a perfect day when he dies!"

The young man did as Bill suggested and spent his days in the saloons of Virginia City. He was starting to wonder if quarry would ever show when Adam Cartwright walked into the Silver Dollar saloon with two other men, one very large and the other smaller but wearing his left hand rig like he knew how to use it. Now that he saw Adam Cartwright, he could see why he was described as intimidating. The dark hair, the black clothes, and the penetrating gaze that surveyed the whole room as he stood at the bar was more than enough to create the aura of a dangerous man. He wore his rig low and tied down which was a sign to anyone that he was a fast draw. Then he laughed at something the smaller man said and much of the aura faded. The young man headed outside to await the opportunity that would present itself as soon as Cartwright walked out of that saloon. He waited less than an hour. All three men exited the saloon and began to walk across the street. He pulled his rig low, tied it down, and followed them into the street.

"Adam Cartwright, I'm Sam Prescott and I'm calling you out!"

All three men stopped and turned. Adam was in the center.

"I'm not going to fight you."

"One way or the other, you will."

Adam turned to leave and the young man drew and shot him in the left arm. Adam spun around holding his right hand to his upper left arm. As he turned, the young man holstered his gun and prepared to draw. There was no way out. When he drew, Adam drew faster and shot him in the abdomen. Prescott doubled over and fell to his knees. He was gut shot, which was fatal but not immediately. He raised his gun to fire and Adam had to shoot again and hit him in the chest with the second shot. He fell back in the street and moaned. He laid there with his knees in the air and his right hand still clutching his gun. Adam walked over and looked at him carefully. His eyes stared sightlessly into the sky.

"He's a kid. He's only a kid!"

Adam looked up to see Finch standing no more than twenty feet away and furiously sketching the scene. Walking over to him, Adam wanted to kill him, but instead he grabbed his sketchbook and threw it in the dirt. He grabbed Finch by his shirtfront and pulled him over to the boy lying in the street. When he got him there, he pushed Finch down to his knees and then shoved his face into the blood, which had soaked the boy's shirt and pooled on his stomach.

"This is what you have done. You've gotten this boy killed so you could make some money. You're a disgusting bloodsucking leech so you ought to look the part."

With that he released Finch who jumped back and stepped away. Roy Coffee arrived at that time. He saw Finch with blood all over his face and dripping onto his shirt. Adam stood there with his right hand holding his left arm and blood seeping between his fingers. He had his head bowed to his chest. Between them laid a boy of no more than seventeen or eighteen years old with two gaping bullet holes. The boy was obviously dead.

"What's happened here?"

Hoss came up to Roy. "We'll tell you everything that happened as soon as we get Adam over to Doc Martin's. Can some of you men carry this boy over to the undertakers? Tell him we'll pay the expenses." He and Joe went to Adam then and gently turned him to go in the direction of Doctor Martin's office.

"Sheriff, I want that man arrested. He assaulted me and destroyed my property."

Roy turned to the people who were standing all around watching silently. "Did anyone here witness what this man says Adam done?"

No one in the crowd said a word. Sam, the bartender, stepped forward. "Adam didn't do nothing to this man." Several voices from the crowd agreed. Finch was furious.

"They're lying to cover up what he did. He grabbed me. He shoved my face down into that poor boy that he killed."

"According to the folks here, he didn't do that."

Finch went in the direction of his sketchbook, but a number of people suddenly felt the need to walk over it and kick it until it was destroyed. Someone plucked his notebook from his pocket and passed it around the crowd, and they took turns tearing pages from it and throwing them on the ground.

"Sheriff, they're destroying my property."

"Seems to me that you left your property laying around in people's way littering the streets of our fine city. Folks are doing their best to clean up the filth you left behind but it's quite a mess you made."

"I didn't make a mess. I didn't do anything."

"Finch, you're under arrest."

"You can't arrest me. I haven't done anything illegal."

"Well my eyes tell me that you have incited a civil disturbance here, and you are going to spend some time in my jail. Now move this way or I'll have my deputies take you in by force."

"You have to at least give me a chance to clean up. I have clean clothing at the hotel, and I need to get that."

Suddenly a piece of luggage and articles of clothing were thrown from the hotel steps into the street. "Consider yourself evicted!"

"You can't do this to me. I'm Tobias Finch. I'm a famous writer, and you can't do this to me."

After grabbing his clothing and valise, Roy's deputies each took one of Finch's arms and propelled him to the jail. Roy told them to lock him up and make sure no one shot him. He said he would be back after he got statements from the Cartwrights. Standing off to one side, the star reporter for the Territorial Enterprise was furiously writing notes. Roy looked at him and stopped beside him before he walked to Doc Martin's.

"You're not gonna write about how Adam won this gunfight are you? It would just bring more misery down on him and this town."

"Oh, I'm going to write about this gunfight all right but the only name that will be mentioned will be Finch. This will be a great follow up story to the last one about him, and I don't think Mister Finch will be giving anyone here any trouble ever again."

Bill Roberts still in his Dan Fox persona watched from a distance. Cartwright was hurt, but he wasn't dead. Bill had kind of enjoyed what happened to Finch but not enough to erase his disappointment that Prescott was fast but Cartwright was faster. He knew he would have to come up with a new plan. Adam Cartwright was hurt now and that made him more vulnerable so Bill needed to see if he could come up with a plan to take advantage of that.

Chapter 8

In his office, Doctor Martin cleaned and bandaged Adam's arm. The wound was a through and through so he expected Adam to make a complete recovery with no lasting physical effects. But Adam had lost blood and was still very upset by what he had been forced to do, and he remained completely quiet as Paul took care of his wound. There were no complaints and no cries of pain even though Paul knew he had to be hurting. Paul went out to talk to Hoss and Joe who were waiting in the front of the office after giving statements to Sheriff Coffee.

"Can you boys get him home and into bed? He needs to rest. I'll be out to see him later. I should check in on Toni too. He's emotionally exhausted, and this news is going to be hard on Toni too."

"We'll take care of him, Doc. Thank you."

Hoss went into the exam room to help Adam pull on his shirt and to get him ready to return to his home while Joe went to get the horses. They both knew that Toni was likely to be getting worried by now because they were only supposed to have been gone a short time.

"Doc, I don't reckon you would let me get a statement from him?"

"Roy, you already know the answer to that. He is in no shape to be talking to you about this now. He refused the pain powders, but he is in shock and needs to get some sleep. You can talk to him later today or tomorrow if you need to."

"Well, I got enough from Joe and Hoss to back up what others said at the scene. I just need a statement from Adam to wrap up this whole sorry situation."

Roy was quiet though as Hoss and Joe escorted Adam through the front office and out to the street with Adam's left arm supported by a sling. Some men had thoughtfully moved Adam's horse directly in front of the doctor's office so it was easy to help him into the saddle. Hoss made sure that Adam was well seated on Sport before he mounted up, and then he and Joe thanked the men who had helped before they rode to each side of Adam on a slow ride out of town. Adam had his head down and didn't look at anyone as he rode out. There were many sympathetic looks sent their way as people commiserated over the tragic event of just a little over an hour earlier.

There was no conversation as they rode. Joe and Hoss knew their brother would not welcome any now. As they turned down the short road to Adam's house, he picked up his head and set his shoulders. He was not looking forward to telling Toni what had happened. As they neared the house, Hoss was the first to dismount and he handed his reins to Joe before moving to help Adam down. Hoss then handed those reins to Joe as well and escorted Adam to the house. Adam was a little unsteady but otherwise okay so Hoss just walked at his right side to be sure he made it inside without falling. Toni rushed out without a coat or shawl when she saw Adam walking with a sling supporting his left arm.

"Oh no, what happened?"

Adam looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes that projected the torture he was feeling in his soul. He found he couldn't talk or didn't want to talk. Toni wrapped her arm around him from the right side, and all three walked into the house.

"Toni, Doc Martin said he should go to bed. The blood loss and the shock have made him too tired to keep going right now."

Toni wanted to help him up the stairs but Hoss stepped in front of her.

"Toni, in your condition, it might be better if I steadied him up the stairs. If he falls, you won't be able to catch him, and then we'll have both of you hurt."

Toni was over six months pregnant by then, and anyone could tell by the substantial bulge at her waist. She stepped back to let Hoss walk behind Adam as he went up the stairs, but she followed them up the stairs. Adam stumbled twice, but Hoss was right there to grab his right arm to steady him. Once in the bedroom, Toni turned down the bedding, Hoss helped him lie down and pulled off his boots, and then Toni pulled the quilt over him. Adam stared at the ceiling so Toni sat on the side of the bed and caressed his chest. Slowly his eyes closed and he fell asleep. Toni rose and signaled Hoss with her eyes that they should leave. Toni left the door open and walked downstairs with Hoss.

"What happened?"

"A kid, no more than seventeen or eighteen, called Adam out when we was only jest walking down the street. Adam said no, he wouldn't fight him and turned to walk away and that's when the kid shot him. He turned around and before anyone could stop the kid, he drew down on Adam. Adam didn't have a choice. He drew and shot the boy, but the kid didn't quit and when he tried to shoot, Adam had to fire again. He's dead. Adam's all broke up about it."

Tears ran down Toni's face. She had seen how devastated Adam was when he walked in the house. Hoss recounted what had happened with Finch. Joe came in then. By the looks on their faces, he knew that Hoss had told Toni about the shootout.

"Yeah, we were thinking that all we had to worry about was Bill Roberts and where he's hiding out, and this has to happen."

Hoss couldn't stop him soon enough, and Joe could tell from the shocked look on Toni's face that he had just stuck his boot in his mouth and suddenly realized that they had been keeping this secret from Toni for a long time.

"What about Bill Roberts?"

"Toni, now try not to get too upset. We didn't tell you because of your, um, condition. Adam said that Doc didn't want you to get stressed or nothing. So Adam didn't tell you when we found out that Bill Roberts escaped."

"When?"

"Ah, well, he escaped in November, but we didn't know until Christmas."

"It's March, and no one told me. How could Adam keep this from me?"

"He wanted to tell you, but he was afraid of the effect it might have on you. He done told me a bunch of times that he thought he should tell you because not doing it could make you not trust him. So I asked him why he didn't, and he said he couldn't do anything to hurt you or the baby. It was tearing him up to keep this from you."

Joe tried to help then because he had been the one to let the news out. "Besides no one has seen Bill, and Tony, Pa, and a bunch of us have been watching for him."

"Papa knew too!"

Toni sat in Adam's favorite chair and thought about all she had learned in such a short time. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she was feeling faint. Hoss noticed how pale she was and went to the kitchen to have Minnie brew up some of the tea she had favored lately. He found Minnie was already preparing a tray to bring in to them.

"I heard enough. She's going to need this now. I have some broth simmering and will bring that to her soon and to Mister Adam when he's ready."

"Thank you. I think I'll just hang around for a bit to see if there's anything more that I can do."

Hoss returned to the great room and set the tray on the table in front of Toni. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. Toni wrapped her fingers around the cup and sipped a little.

"Joe, I'm staying here to help. Could you put Chubb in the stable for me, please. I think that Pa and Tony need to know what happened too ifn you could ride over to Tony's place to tell him before you ride home."

Joe looked at Toni who was staring straight ahead, and nodded at Hoss. "I'll have Pa bring a few things for you so you can stay tonight. I think I'll ride and tell Pa first, and then I'll go to tell Tony. They're probably both going to want to come here so could you let Minnie know?"

Hoss nodded. Joe's plan made sense. He moved over to sit closer to Toni and put his hand on her arm. She looked at him and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Hoss took the cup, set it on the table next to her chair, and gathered her into his arms. He didn't say anything but rubbed her back like he would with a child who was hurting. Minnie came out with a cup of broth.

"I think I'm all right now." Toni leaned back from Hoss. "I should go upstairs to see how Adam is doing."

"You stay here right now and drink your tea and your broth. Mister Adam needs to rest a bit. If you're worried, Hoss can go up there to make sure he is still sleeping."

Toni nodded her head and sat back in the chair again. Minnie handed her the broth and she sipped some. She thanked Minnie and when Hoss came back downstairs to say that Adam was still asleep, she thanked him too. Hoss and Minnie each had a cup of coffee.

"I understand why Adam didn't tell me. It's not easy to admit it, but hearing it now was very upsetting, and I can still feel my heart racing. I know that all of you were protecting me and the baby."

"Doc Martin said he'd be out later to check on Adam. I think he's as worried about the way he was acting as he was about his arm and such. Adam was shook up real bad about shooting that young gunfighter. The boy didn't have to die, but he didn't give Adam no choice. He had to shoot and fast."

"I hope the Doctor has time to see to the Missus here too. She's been feeling so tired lately that I've been getting worried."

"Minnie, I'm fine. This has been a shock or two, and that's all."

"No, Toni, you been showing the strain even before you got this bad news. The doctor needs to take a good look at you too. I've seen other ladies carrying babies, and some of 'em were working in the fields up until the day before the baby came. You're feeling the strain a lot more than that."

"Toni, Doc did say he was going to look in on you when he came to check on Adam."

Hoss smiled at her. He had a lot of admiration for how strong Adam's wife was. He looked over at Minnie and smiled at her. She was another strong woman whom he admired, but he had other feelings for her as well and decided at that moment that soon he should tell her how he felt. She smiled back at him, and he hoped that meant she had feelings for him too.

Chapter 9

After resting for over an hour and drinking tea and broth, Toni decided it was time for her to see Adam. She entered her bedroom and slowly pulled a chair closer to the bed where Adam was sleeping. Before she could sit, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Will you sit by me please?" and he slid over a little to his left. Toni snuggled up to his right side placing her hand on his chest.

"How are you doing, really?"

Looking at Toni for a time with that serious look he had, Adam wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. With his head next to hers, he began to cry letting loose his emotions with the person in the world that he trusted the most never to reveal to anyone that he had. Toni had never seen him express such raw emotion and pain as his quiet sobs communicated to her. She held him close until he regained his composure. She slid down until she was parallel to him, and he placed his right hand on her stomach.

"He was just a boy. Seventeen years ago, some mother and father rested their hands on the mother's stomach just like this and felt their baby move. They probably expressed their hopes and dreams for their child. Now it's all over almost before it began. He will never be a man, never reach those goals they hoped for him."

Toni realized that his impending fatherhood was one of the reasons for his sadness at the boy's death. He understood now like never before what a parent thinks about, and also what a parent fears more than anything: the loss of their child. She placed her hand over his as they felt their baby kick, and both could not help but smile.

"I have started to have thoughts like that too. I worry each day if our baby will be healthy. I worry what will happen in the first months, the first years. I was the youngest in my family so I really have no idea what it is like to be a parent. You're going to have to help me. You helped raise your brothers so you have some idea what to do."

"We'll do it together. I love you."

Toni leaned down and kissed Adam. "Minnie made some broth and it is delicious. Would you like some?"

"Yes, but I want to eat at the dining table. I don't want to lay here alone any longer."

"Just a moment so I can get Hoss up here to help."

"He's here?"

"He stayed to help us out. He'll be here until tomorrow morning at least. I do believe that he and Minnie can find plenty to occupy his time until then. I think he's in the kitchen with her now."

Toni went downstairs to the kitchen to ask Minnie to prepare a bowl of broth and to ask Hoss to help his brother down the stairs. However as she entered the kitchen, she interrupted a passionate embrace of Hoss and Minnie.

"Oh I am sorry. I would say I would come back in a bit, but I need some help." Even though both ladies and Hoss were blushing, Toni made her requests and then left the kitchen but she had a huge grin once her back was to the couple. She thought to herself that there was some good news to share with Adam and was pleased with the thought that she might see him smile at that news too.

A short time later, Hoss was upstairs and helped Adam walk down the stairs. As Adam reached the bottom step, Toni was there and the two of them walked toward the dining room as Hoss followed behind alert to any unsteadiness of his brother. Suddenly the front door banged open and a long-haired, bearded man pushed his way in holding a pistol pointed right at them. Toni screamed, and Adam pushed her behind him.

"Just stop right there and nobody move!"

Adam was furious that someone would invade his home, and he was especially upset that Toni might be in danger. "Who are you and what do you want here?"

"Don't you recognize me, mister high and mighty Cartwright? I didn't think you could ever forget my face."

The voice was recognized by all three but none of them had realized when they had seen the new hand at the livery that he bore any resemblance to Bill Roberts. Bill had always mumbled and roughened his voice and was very careful not to let his slight southern accent affect his speech while he played the role of Dan Fox. He had lived long enough in the west to adopt a western accent with no difficulty. With the hair, the beard, the weight gain, and the limp, no one had any idea who he was. However Bill, when he had planned this afternoon, had not expected another person to be in the house. He had not seen another horse nor vehicle of any kind outside so he had thought Toni was alone with Adam. Now he was getting nervous because his planning had not included a third person especially Hoss who was a formidable opponent.

Several men had mentioned to Adam that 'Dan Fox' spent a lot of time at night drinking with Tobias Finch. Adam had observed the man and seen nothing to arouse his suspicion, but now he was berating himself for missing the obvious. Of course, one way for Bill to hide was to wear a disguise, and Adam had never considered that possibility which now had placed his wife and his brother in jeopardy too.

"You, Hoss, move away from your brother."

Hoss moved but instead of away, he stepped directly in front of Adam. He knew that Bill's focus was on killing Adam, and he wanted to make that difficult for him. Instead, he thought he should try to calm him down if he could. "Bill you don't want to hurt anyone. The worst that happens now is you go back to prison, but ifn you kill someone, you're gonna hang. The other thing you can do is to leave. You could get clear away from here. We got some money here we could give you, and supplies, and an extra horse."

"What I want is standing behind you two. Toni, you come out from behind those two or I'm gonna shoot both of them right now."

Toni pulled away from Adam's grasp and stepped up beside Hoss. Again, Bill was shocked. He had seen Toni ride into town in the carriage beside Adam with a lap blanket wrapped around her. He had not seen her walking nor out of the carriage in several months, and now he knew why. Her obvious pregnancy inflamed his anger immensely.

"How could you? You're carrying than damn Yankee's bastard!"

Adam and Hoss were both furious, but there was nothing they could do at the moment without endangering Toni even more. All three stood silently trying to think of a way out of this dangerous situation. Adam wanted to pull Toni back behind him, but any action on his part was likely to set off Bill, and he was highly volatile at that moment.

"Bill, I told you I loved Adam. I'm sorry that you can't accept that." Toni was calm and tried to talk logically to Bill, but he was acting only on emotion so the logic had no effect.

"You don't love him. You can't. He's forced you into this and he's gonna pay!"

Just when it looked like Bill was going to do something, Minnie called from the kitchen that she was bringing food to the table. Bill was startled and turned in that direction, and Hoss used the time to pull both Toni and Adam toward the study to get them out of the line of fire. What he had seen and they had not seen was that Charlie was coming up behind Bill. Bill suddenly heard those footsteps and began to turn but a shot from Charlie's rifle propelled him onto his back on the foyer rug. Minnie stepped from around the corner of the dining room with a shotgun pointed at the wounded man. Bill attempted to raise his pistol to fire at Charlie, but the blast from Minnie's shotgun ended his life. Minnie dropped the shotgun and held her hands to her face. She had never fired on a person before, and the carnage that resulted from her blast shocked and repulsed her.

Ben had been nearing Adam's home when he heard gunfire and raced his horse into the yard. He ran to the front door with his pistol drawn to find a dead man without a face lying just inside the door and Charlie standing guard with a rifle. Further inside, Hoss stood with a shotgun in one hand and had his other arm around Minnie holding her as she sobbed into his chest. Near the study, Adam was sitting on the floor using his good arm to hold Toni as she cried against his right shoulder.

Joe, who had just left Tony's to return home, raced into the yard alerted by the same sound of gunfire. Behind him, Roy and Tony rode into the yard, and Paul drove his carriage into the yard as well. It was quiet now, and they saw Ben and Charlie inside the front door. When Roy entered, Charlie gave a quick explanation of what had happened. Then he and the other men rolled the dead man in the rug and took him outside. When they came back in, Roy asked who wanted to tell him who the dead man was and what in tarnation happened here. It took some time to tell the more detailed version of the story and the last part had to be told by Minnie.

Minnie had heard what Bill said as he entered the house. Realizing the danger to the three he was threatening, she had gone to Charlie, and they had rapidly devised the plan to distract him so that Charlie could get close enough to shoot him. Charlie had explained to Minnie that his eyesight wasn't so good and his hands would be shaking so he wanted to get as close as possible. Minnie told him she had learned to fire a shotgun hunting rabbits and deer back home so he had gotten the one he used on varmints around the place and sent her through the kitchen to distract Bill and use the shotgun if necessary. Bill had not done any scouting of the place because he was so obsessed with taking Toni away with him that he had not known any others were on the premises.

Once the story was completed, Paul, who had noticed that Toni was very pale and Adam didn't look much better, asked Hoss and Minnie to get them upstairs as he went outside to retrieve his bag. Paul asked Adam to sit in the chair in the bedroom as he examined Toni first. Once she was lying in bed away from all the commotion and with a little time to regain her composure, she relaxed and that was big step in reviving her energy. Paul ran his hands lightly over her stomach and smiled. With his stethoscope, he listened on one side and then the other. He took her hand and placed it on the right side of her stomach. Then he called Adam over and placed his hand next to Toni's.

"Do you feel that? That's your child's head."

Paul then took Toni's other hand and placed it on the left side of her stomach. He took Adam's right hand and moved it over beside Toni's.

"What does that feel like to you?"

"It feels just like what my right hand is feeling."

"That's right."

Toni and Adam just looked at him for a moment before suddenly breaking into huge grins. It had suddenly dawned on both that they were having twins.

"I've suspected it for a while now especially as large as Toni was getting so soon and with the fatigue she had for such a strong woman, but there was nothing concrete until now. It's why I had so many restrictions on Toni. I wanted to be cautious because of that possibility. Congratulations. Now, sometimes things can be more difficult with twins so Toni has to be especially careful. We don't want anything to encourage an early labor. These two are likely to come a little early anyway, but that is all right. We just don't want them to come too early. So, I'm going to make a list of expectations that must be followed. Am I clear on that?"

Adam and Toni never looked at him, but both nodded yes. Paul spent a few moments checking Adam's wound, but the bandage was dry so that was okay. He had been worried when he arrived on the scene that Adam being shot and the severe trauma of what had just happened might have harmed Toni's pregnancy, but his exam had shown that all was normal. He could relax now and go downstairs and have some of the food Minnie had promised. If the smells were any indication, dinner was going to be very good.

"Hey Paul, we was just gonna sit down and have some dinner. Are Adam and Toni okay?"

"Yes, they're fine. They need a little quiet time with each other. Perhaps Minnie could set a plate for each aside until later?"

Minnie agreed. Paul, Tony, Ben, Joe, and Hoss sat down at the table. Hoss had insisted that Charlie and Minnie join them tonight for dinner, and they said they would as soon as all the food was served. Roy had left with statements and the dead man's body so he was the only one working this night. Everyone else got to relax finally that the threat from Bill Roberts was gone forever.

Chapter 10

After the traumatic events of the day, Toni and Adam were exhausted. He had been forced into a gunfight after being wounded in his left arm and ended up killing a young man. It was all a direct result of Tobias Finch setting him up with all those lies he wrote so he had confronted Finch after the fight and wasn't happy about his actions regardless of the provocation. Then in their home, Bill Roberts had threatened them and Hoss, but Bill had, in turn, had been shot and killed by Charlie and Minnie. When they were numbed almost beyond endurance by the emotional overload, Dr. Paul Martin had let them know that they were going to have twins.

After Paul left the bedroom, Adam laid down on the bed at Toni's left side after removing his boots. He held her hand as they rested silently side-by-side. Neither had the energy to go downstairs to eat and participate in conversation where the discussion inevitably would reflect the events of the day. Adam reached down to the foot of the bed and pulled the quilt up over them. Toni turned her head toward him, smiled, and closed her eyes. Within minutes, Adam was asleep as well.

Downstairs, Ben had served all the men and Minnie glasses of brandy from Adam's study. Minnie and Charlie were especially pale. After Charlie drained his glass, Ben stood and went to refill it. When he returned and handed it to Charlie, Charlie nodded his gratitude.

"Thanks. I never shot nobody before. It ain't an easy thing to do."

Standing suddenly, Minnie said she needed to take care of the food left from dinner and hurriedly walked to the kitchen. Hoss rose and followed. When he entered the kitchen, he found Minnie on her knees with her head bent forward and sobbing into her hands. Hoss reached down and took her by the upper arms and pulled her up next to him. He sat in a chair and pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her head in his shoulder and continued to cry. Gradually the sobbing diminished to sniffles but she kept her head on his shoulder as she talked softly.

"I've hunted rabbits and deer. I never enjoyed killing them, but it served a purpose, and I was comfortable with it. It helped feed us and keep us alive. But shooting a man, even a despicable one like that, broke my heart. There was no reason. It was all so stupid. How could he think like that? Toni didn't love him; she never did. Adam never hurt him. All he ever done was love Toni."

"Darling, he'd made himself crazy. He was greedy for her like some men are for gold or for power. When a man is like that, all he sees is what he wants. It's a kind of crazy. He'll say anything and do anything to get what he is after. People like that don't care no more about anybody who gets in their way. You stopped his craziness and saved all our lives today."

"So you're saying there was a purpose to it?"

"He didn't leave you no choice. It was him or us. He had to die so we could live. Don't go feeling too bad about that. I know you will never forget what happened here cause nobody ever could, but you need to accept that you did the right thing."

They sat silently as Minnie took comfort from Hoss' embrace. Ben looked in to tell them that they were leaving once Paul checked on Adam and Toni to be sure that they were all right. Ben said nothing when he saw Hoss comforting Minnie, but instead followed Paul up the stairs. It had been nearly two hours since Paul had given Adam and Toni the good news, and he had expected them to come downstairs at least to get something to eat. Paul knocked softly on the bedroom door and pushed it open slowly when there was no response. Toni and Adam were asleep. Paul turned down the lamp as Ben added a log to the fire and then made sure the screen was up tight against the fireplace. They walked out of the room and down the stairs. It was time to go home and get some sleep.

The next morning, Hoss and Minnie were in the kitchen when Toni and Adam came downstairs. Adam walked slowly and carefully down the stairs. His arm hurt a lot, and he still felt a little dizzy. He knew that skipping dinner the night before had not been a good idea. The last he had to eat was a beer in the saloon the day before. Toni as well needed to be eating to keep her strength up so they had headed directly to the kitchen as soon as they arose and dressed.

"Hoss, I'm sorry we didn't ready a room for you. Toni told me you were staying, but I forgot all about that after everything happened."

"It was quite all right older brother. Minnie got me some bedding and told me what room to use. Shur is pretty looking out that window when the sun comes up. I've had breakfast already so unless you need me for anything, I'm heading home now. Seems everything is fine here."

They didn't need his help so Hoss got Chubb from the stable and headed home. Ben wanted Joe and Hoss to finish the cattle survey so they headed out to the southwest pastures. Joe had a few questions for Hoss as they headed out.

"Hoss, I'm faster than Adam, don't you think?"

"In a contest, I'd bet on you, Joe."

Joe smiled, but then he grew very serious again.

"That Prescott kid yesterday was very fast. He might have even been as fast as me."

"Faster."

Joe grimaced.

"Hoss, I'm trying to be serious here. That kid was real fast, but he never got a shot off before Adam shot him. How'd that happen?"

"Joe, Adam seems to know what someone is thinking. He saw the kid's thoughts by how he was acting and kind of knew when he was gonna draw. Adam's also a lot faster when he's concentrating. The more important it is, the faster he is. He seems to be able to bottle up all his emotions even his fear, and he gets cold as ice. I can't explain it, but I've seen him do it a couple times now."

"But you said you'd bet on me in a contest."

"Yep, Adam can't anticipate what cans on a fence will do or what a target will do. Plus he won't concentrate that hard no matter what the prize is in a contest cause he don't care that much about winning a contest. Not like you do. You would give it all ya got, and you're real fast, so I'd bet on you. Not that the two of you would ever draw down on each other, but in a gunfight, my money'd be on Adam."

Joe's mind got working and scheming on how he could show Hoss he was wrong but gave up for the time being when he couldn't think of a scenario that would work. So he decided to change the topic.

"Hey Hoss, what about that pretty girl that works for Adam. Do you think I stand a chance with her?"

"Nope."

"Boy, you sure are encouraging this morning. Why not?"  
"She's taken. She's got a man, and he's got her."

"Dang, and she hasn't been here that long and most of it was winter. Who got her already?"

"Enough talk, Joe. Let's get this job done. I'd like to get home before sundown for a change."

Joe grinned a little though for that second conversation was all a farce. He knew very well that Hoss was in love with Minnie. Everyone who was around when the two of them were near each other knew that. He had wanted to see if he could get Hoss to say something about it. He hadn't so that meant Hoss was very serious about her. He began to wonder how long it would be before there was another wedding in the family.

Over time, Hoss did talk more about Minnie. She also talked more about what happened with the shooting and gradually was able to put that to rest even if the memory would always be with her. Roy got all of the official statements and put the whole story to rest. However, Adam was not at rest. He had trouble sleeping at night, and Toni could tell he was bothered by ay number of things. She finally decided it was time to push him into talking about it and did that in the most direct way that she had.

"Adam, we need to talk."

"Toni, what good will it do to talk about all of this. It happened. It's over."

"I'm worried about you. I'm worried about us. You're hurt but I don't think it is just your arm that is bothering you. Ever since your birthday, you seem to be more distant. Now with all of this, I'm worried how it will affect us because you seem even more distant today."

Adam sat in his leather chair and stared at Toni for a time. How could he tell her his worries? His mother died when he was born. He carried fear with him now all the time. As Toni's belly grew, his fear grew because he knew the day when she would go into labor was getting close. But how could he tell her this? He didn't want to do anything to cause her any stress. He couldn't contribute to her difficulties by adding his fear. So he had done what he had learned to do when he was quite young and bottled it all up inside. Those walls protected him, but he was learning slowly that it hurt Toni to have to deal with him when he was like that. He rose to get his coat and leave the house because that was the other thing he did when the pressure to acknowledge his fears became too much to resist.

"Oh no, you don't! You are not running away from me. You said for better or worse. Now I have had plenty of the worse. You need to trust me. Share your thoughts and feelings with me! It is the only way we can be married. Without that, we will soon have nothing."

Although Adam still could not bring himself to tell her his greatest fear, Toni had already guessed. Mostly it was because Hoss especially had been forthright in telling her why Adam was more moody than usual and short-tempered as his birthday neared. She guessed that he was worried he would lose her like Papa Ben had lost Adam's mother Elizabeth. However, she wanted Adam to tell her.

"Yesterday, I cried in your arms. Is that what you want? A weak man who can't even stand strong when he knows he's done the right thing?"

"Yes, that's what I want. But it's not the way you think it is. When you cried in my arms, I felt the greatest love for you that I could because you gave me the gift of trusting me to show your heart and soul to me. You told me the truth of how you felt and why. I trust you with everything I have, always and forever. What I want most is that you would trust me that much. It is for no one else. It is for us."

Adam stood in stony silence. He wasn't at all sure that he could do this. He was thirty-six years old now and had kept much of his feelings hidden for most of those years. He didn't show his true feelings unless he wanted to. The walls protected him and made him safe. The longer he was silent, the more that Toni's mood shifted from worry to anger. Finally she couldn't hold back.

"You pride yourself on being strong and courageous. But in this you are cowardly!"

That did it. Adam was furious because she dared to talk to him like that. "I am not a coward. I do this to protect you. You don't need to carry my fears around with you. You have enough to worry about. If anything happened to you, I don't think I could go on. You have to live."

"I'm strong. I'm healthy. You don't have to worry about me. After all, since I've known you, you've been beaten, stabbed, trampled, and shot. If anything, I ought to be worried about losing you, and I do. But I won't let that fear harm the very thing that I treasure and that is my relationship with you."

Toni had walked up to Adam and stood inches away from him. He reached for her and pulled her into an embrace. He dropped his head to her shoulder. His left arm ached but he needed to hold her.

"Adam, talk to me."

"All I can think about is losing you. Yesterday my heart was pounding when I thought Bill might harm you. Every day as we get closer to delivery, I think about how my mother died so I could be born. Now Paul says that you are carrying twins and that means the risk is even greater."

"Papa Ben says that your mother was never strong and was not in good health. I'm a strong woman. There's nothing wrong with my health. I have you to take care of me. I know there's a risk, but it is very small. We should embrace the joy of having two babies, and that you are going to be the proud papa of two little Cartwrights who are undoubtedly going to be spoiled by two very happy grandfathers."

Adam smiled and raised his head to gaze into Toni's eyes. She was right and he knew it. Someone had told him once that a good marriage was two souls joined. He was beginning to understand that and he was also beginning to accept that.

"They will do that, won't they, or at least they'll try. We are going to have to discuss some basic rules for the children. On the other thing, I'll try. I am a bit stubborn sometimes though so you may have to push a little now and then."

Toni was happy to see that Adam had shown her a little more of himself. But that last statement was so funny she couldn't help herself and burst into gales of laughter. Adam couldn't help it either and dropped into his chair he was laughing so hard. It was the release of emotion they both needed. Toni sat on his lap and he made a loud and theatrical grunt. That made Toni laugh even more.

"Of course, I know that. I knew that before I married you and I had only known you two months at that point."

"Yes, and I married you when I didn't know you would make me laugh more than I had laughed in my life. Toni, I love you so much. All of you." Then he made another face about her sitting on his lap in her advanced state of pregnancy causing both of them to start laughing again.

Minnie peeked from the kitchen to see what the hilarity was and just smiled to see them sitting in one chair. She thought 'Now that's how a marriage is supposed to look' and returned to her baking.


End file.
